Editing Wilhelm Busch (section)

==Work==
[[File:Versuchung und Ende 01.jpg|thumb|right|A scene from ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It'']]
During the Frankfurt period Busch published three self-contained illustrated satires. Their [[Anti-clericalism|anti-clerical]] themes proved popular during the [[Kulturkampf]].<ref>Kraus, p. 61</ref> Busch's satires typically did not address political questions, but exaggerated churchiness, superstition, and philistine double standards. This exaggeration made at least two of the works historically erroneous.<ref>Diers, p. 99</ref> The third illustrated satire, ''Father Filucius'' (Pater Filucius), described by Busch as an "allegorical [[mayfly]]", has greater historical context.<ref>Kraus, p. 68</ref>

===''Max and Moritz''===
{{main|Max and Moritz}}
In German, ''Eine Bubengeschichte in sieben Streichen'', ''Max and Moritz'' is a series of seven illustrated stories concerning the mischievous antics of two boys, who are eventually ground up and fed to ducks.

===''Saint Antonius of Padua'' and ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It''===
[[File:Busch Werke v2 p 142.jpg|thumb|right|Two scenes from ''Monsieur Jacques à Paris während der Belagerung von 1870'']]
In ''Saint Antonius of Padua'' (Der Heilige Antonius von Padua) Busch challenges Catholic belief. It was released by the publisher Moritz Schauenburg at the time [[Pope Pius IX]] proclaimed the [[dogma]] of [[papal infallibility]] that was harshly criticized by Protestants.<ref>Wessing, pp. 92–93</ref> The publisher's works were heavily scrutinized or censored,<ref>Weissweiler, p. 168</ref> and the [[state's attorney]] in [[Offenburg]] charged Schauenberg with "vilification of religion and offending public decency through indecent writings"&nbsp;– a decision which affected Busch.<ref>Weissweiler, pp. 166–167</ref> Scenes of Antonius accompanied by a pig being admitted to heaven, and the devil being shown as a half-naked ballet dancer seducing Antonius, were deemed controversial. The district court of Düsseldorf subsequently banned ''Saint Antonius''. Schauenburg was acquitted on 27 March 1871 in Offenburg, but in Austria distribution of the satire was prohibited until 1902.<ref>Weissweiler, pp. 169–172</ref> Schauenburg refused to publish further Busch satires to avoid future accusations.<ref>Wessling, p. 100</ref>

Busch's following work, ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It'' (Die fromme Helene), was published by Otto Friedrich Bassermann, a friend whom Busch met in Munich. ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It'', which was soon translated into other European languages, satirizes religious hypocrisy and dubious morality:<ref>Wessling, p. 106</ref><ref>Arndt, p. 56</ref>
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<poem>
Ein guter Mensch gibt gerne acht,
Ob auch der andre was Böses macht;
Und strebt durch häufige Belehrung
Nach seiner Beß'rung und Bekehrung
</poem>
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<poem>
A saintly person likes to labor
For the correction of his neighbor,
And sees, through frequent admonition,
To his improvement through contrition.

Or: A good person likes to pay attention,
if the other has evil intention,
and strives by frequent didactic incursion,
after his improvement and conversion.
</poem>
{{Col-end}}
Many details from ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It'' criticize the way of life of the Kesslers. Johanna Kessler was married to a much older man and entrusted her children to governesses and tutors, while she played an active role in the social life of Frankfurt.<ref>Arndt, p. 42</ref>
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<poem>
Schweigen will ich vom Theater
Wie von da, des Abends spät,
Schöne Mutter, alter Vater
Arm in Arm nach Hause geht

Zwar man zeuget viele Kinder,
Doch man denket nichts dabei.
Und die Kinder werden Sünder,
Wenn's den Eltern einerlei.
</poem>
{{Col-2}}
<poem>
Then again, the pen would rather
Spare the Stage, whose thrills excite
Handsome mother, honest father,
As they amble home at night

Couples couple and redouble
With a blithe and thoughtless air,
But the children get in trouble
If the parents do not care.
</poem>
{{Col-end}}
The character of Mr. Schmock&nbsp;– the name based on the [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] insult "[[Schmuck (pejorative)|schmuck]]"&nbsp;– shows similarities with Johanna Kessler's husband, who was uninterested in art and culture.<ref name="Weissweiler, p. 194">Weissweiler, p. 194</ref>

In the second part of ''Helen Who Couldn't Help It'' Busch attacks [[pilgrimage|Catholic pilgrimages]]. The childless Helen goes on a pilgrimage, accompanied by her cousin and Catholic priest Franz. The pilgrimage is successful, as later Helen gives birth to twins, who resemble Helen and Franz. Franz is later killed by a jealous valet, Jean, for his interest in female kitchen staff. The now widowed Helen is left with only a rosary, prayer book, and alcohol. Drunk, she falls into a burning oil lamp. Finally, Nolte coins a moral phrase, echoing the philosophy of Schopenhauer:<ref>Kraus, p. 64</ref><ref>Arndt, p. 64</ref>
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<poem>
Das Gute&nbsp;— dieser Satz steht fest&nbsp;—
Ist stets das Böse, was man läßt!
</poem>
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<poem>
The good (I am convinced, for one)
Is but the bad, one leaves undone.
</poem>
{{Col-end}}

''Pater Filucius'' (Father Filucius) is the only illustrated satire of this period suggested by the publisher. Also aimed at anti-Catholic taste and buyers, it criticizes the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit Order]]. Kraus felt it was the weakest of all three anti-clerical works.<ref>Kraus, p. 66</ref> Some satires refer to contemporary events, such as ''Monsieur Jacques à Paris during the Siege of 1870'' (Monsieur Jacques à Paris während der Belagerung von 1870). Busch biographer Michaela Diers declares the story "tasteless work, drawing on anti-French emotions and mocking the misery of French people in Paris, which is occupied by Prussian troops".<ref>Diers, pp. 90–91</ref> It depicts an increasingly desperate French citizen who at first eats a mouse during the [[Franco-Prussian War|German siege]], then amputates his dog's tail to cook it, and finally invents an explosion pill which kills his dog and two fellow citizens.<ref>Weissweiler, p. 177</ref> Weissweiler believes that Busch wrote with irony.<ref name="Weissweiler, p. 138"/> In ''Eginhard and Emma'' (1864), a fictional family story that takes place in the [[Charlemagne]] era, he criticizes the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and calls for a German empire in its place; in ''The Birthday or the Particularists'' (Der Geburtstag oder die Partikularisten) he satirizes the anti-[[Prussia]]n sentiments of his Hanover countrymen.<ref>Weissweiler, p. 179</ref>

===''Critique of the Heart''===
[[File:Eingeschlafener-Trinker-(Wilhelm-Busch).jpg|thumb|upright|''Eingeschlafener Trinker'' by Wilhelm Busch 1869, [[Städel]] art museum]]
Busch did not write illustrated tales for a while, but focused on the literary ''Kritik des Herzens'' (Critique of the Heart), wanting to appear more serious to his readers. Contemporary reception for the collection of 81 poems was mainly poor; it was criticized for its focus on marriage and sexuality. His long-time friend [[Paul Lindau]] called it "very serious, heartfelt, charming poems".<ref>Weissweiler, p. 229</ref> Dutch writer Marie Anderson was one of few people who enjoyed his ''Kritik des Herzens'', and she even planned to publish it in a Dutch newspaper.<ref>Kraus, p. 57</ref>

===''Adventures of a Bachelor''===
Notwithstanding the hiatus after moving from Frankfurt, the 1870s were one of Busch's most productive decades. In 1874 he produced the short illustrated tale, ''Diddle-Boom!'' (Dideldum!).

Following in 1875, was the ''Knopp Trilogy'', about the life of Tobias Knopp: ''Adventures of a Bachelor'' (Abenteuer eines Junggesellen), ''Mr. and Mrs. Knopp'' (Herr und Frau Knopp) (1876), and "Julie" (Julchen) (1877). The antagonists of the trilogy are not pairs of nuisances as with ''Max and Moritz'' or ''Jack Crook, Bird of Evil'' (Hans Huckebein, der Unglücksrabe).<ref>Kraus, p. 94</ref> Without pathos, Busch makes Knopp become aware of his mortality:<ref>Arndt, pp. 66–7</ref>
[[File:Wilhelm Busch 1878.jpg|thumb|upright|Wilhelm Busch in 1878, photograph by [[Edgar Hanfstaengl]]]]
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<poem>
Rosen, Tanten, Basen, Nelken
Sind genötigt zu verwelken;
Ach&nbsp;— und endlich auch durch mich
Macht man einen dicken Strich.
</poem>
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<poem>
April, cousins, maidens, May
Irretrievably decay;
And I also, soon enough,
Shall be cancelled and crossed off.
</poem>
{{Col-end}}
In the first part of the trilogy, Knopp is depressed and will look for a wife. He visits his old friends and their wives, whom he finds in unenviable relationships. Still not convinced that the life of a bachelor is one for him, he returns home, and without further ado proposes to his housekeeper. The following marriage proposal is, according to Busch biographer Joseph Kraus, one of the shortest in the history of German literature:<ref>Kraus, p. 97</ref><ref>Arndt, p. 82</ref>
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<poem>
"Mädchen", spricht er, "sag mir ob..."
Und sie lächelt: "Ja, Herr Knopp!"
</poem>
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<poem>
"Wench," he stammers, "if I were..."
And she smiles: "With pleasure, Sir!"
</poem>
{{Col-end}}
According to Wessling, Busch became skeptical of marriage after writing the story.<ref>Wessling, p. 155</ref> To Marie Anderson he wrote: "I will never marry(...) I am already in good hands with my sister".<ref>zitiert nach Wessling, p. 155</ref>

===Last works===
Among Busch's last works were the stories, ''Clement Dove, the Poet Thwarted'' (Balduin Bählamm, der verhinderte Dichter) (1883) and ''Painter Squirtle'' (Maler Klecksel) (1884), both of which focus on artistic failure, and indirectly his own failure.<ref>Diers, p. 147</ref> Both stories begin with a preface, which, for biographer Joseph Kraus, were bravura pieces of "Komische Lyrik"&nbsp;— German comic poetry.<ref>Kraus, p. 101</ref> ''Clement Dove'' ridicules the bourgeois amateur poet circle of Munich, "The Crocodiles" ([[Die Krokodile]]), and their prominent members [[Emanuel Geibel]], [[Paul Heyse|Paul von Heyse]], and [[Adolf Wilbrandt]]. ''Painter Squirtle'' criticizes the bourgeois art connoisseur who believes the worth of art is gauged by its price.<ref>Arndt, p. 160</ref>

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<poem>
Mit scharfen Blick nach Kennerweise
Seh ich zunächst mal nach dem Preise,
Und bei genauerer Betrachtung
Steigt mit dem Preise auch die Achtung.
Ich blicke durch die hohle Hand,
Ich blinzle, nicke: "Ah, scharmant!"
Das Kolorit, die Pinselführung,
Die Farbentöne, die Gruppierung,
Dies Lüster, diese Harmonie,
Ein Meisterwerk der Phantasie.
</poem>
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<poem>
For just a minute comment lags,
While secretly I note the tags.
(I emulate the trade's elect:
High price engenders high respect.)
I form a spyglass with my hand,
I squint, I nod, I back-step: "Grand!"
What feeling, both naive and deep!
What broad authoritative sweep!
The thrill transmitted as one traces
That lattice-work of patterned spaces!
Those economical designs
Of trailing asymptotic lines!
</poem>
{{Col-end}}
The prose play ''Edwards Dream'' (Eduards Traum) was released in 1891, composed of several small grouped episodes, rather than one linear storyline. The work received mixed reception. Joseph Kraus felt it was the peak of the life works by Busch,<ref>Kraus, p. 130</ref> his nephews called it a masterwork of world literature, and the publisher of a critical collective edition spoke of a narrative style that is not found in contemporary literature.<ref>Weissweiler, pp. 316–317</ref> Eva Weissweiler saw in the play Busch's attempt to prove himself in the novella genre, believing that everything that angered or insulted him, and his accompanying emotional depths, are apparent in the story.<ref>Weissweiler, pp. 320–322.</ref> The 1895 story ''The Butterfly'' (Der Schmetterling) parodies themes and motifs and ridicules the religious optimism of a German romanticism that contradicted Busch's realistic [[anthropology]] influenced by Schopenhauer and [[Charles Darwin]].<ref>Clemens Heydenreich: ''"...&nbsp;und damit gut!" Wilhelm Buschs Märchen "Der Schmetterling" als Trümmerfeld der "Taugenichts"-Romantik''. (In German) In: Aurora. Jahrbuch der Eichendorff-Gesellschaft, 68/69 (2010), pp. 67–78</ref> Its prose is more stringent in narrative style when compared to ''Edwards Dream''. Both were not popular amongst readers, because of their unfamiliar style.<ref>Weissweiler, pp. 330–331</ref>

===Painting===
[[File:Wilhelm Busch Waldlandschaft.jpg|thumb|right|240px|''Waldlandschaft mit Heufuder und Kühen'', 1884–1893]]
Busch felt his painting skills could not compete with those of the [[Dutch Golden Age painting|Dutch masters]].<ref name="K30">Kraus, p. 30</ref> He regarded few of his paintings as finished, often stacking them one on top of the other in damp corners of his studio, where they stuck together. If the pile of paintings became too high, he burnt some in his garden.<ref name="we163">Weissweiler, pp. 163–164</ref> Since only a few remaining paintings are dated, categorizing them is difficult.<ref name="K30" /> His doubts regarding his skills are expressed in his choice of materials. His [[primer (paint)|ground]] was usually chosen carelessly. Sometimes he used uneven cardboard or poorly-prepared [[spruce]]-wood boards.<ref name="we163" /> One exception is a portrait of Johanna Kessler, on a [[canvas]] support measuring {{convert|63|cm|in|0}} by {{convert|53|cm|in|0}}, one of his largest paintings.<ref name="we163" /> Most of his works, even [[Landscape painting|landscapes]], are small.<ref name="we163" /> As Busch used poor grounds and colours, most are heavily darkened and have an almost monochrome effect.

Many pictures depict the countryside at Wiedensahl and Lüthorst. They include [[Pollarding|pollarded]] [[willow]]s, cottages in cornfields, cowherds, autumn landscapes, and meadows with streams.<ref>Weissweiler, p. 139</ref> A particular feature is the use of red jackets, found in about 280 of 1000 Busch paintings and drawings. The muted or bright red coats are worn usually by a small figure, depicted from behind.<ref>Schury, pp. 52–53</ref> The paintings generally represent typical villages. Portraits of the Kesslers, and a series of other portraits depicting Lina Weissenborn in the mid-1870s, are exceptions. A painting of a 10-year-old girl from a Jewish family at Lüthorst portrays her as serious, and having dark, oriental features.<ref>Weissweiler, S. 215 und S. 216</ref>

The influence of Dutch painters is clearly visible in Busch's work. "[[Frans Hals|Hals]] diluted and shortened(...) but still Halsian", wrote [[Paul Klee]] after visiting a Busch memorial exhibition in 1908.<ref>Ueding, p. 369</ref> A strong influence on Busch was [[Adriaen Brouwer]], whose themes were farming and inn life, rustic dances, card players, smokers, drunkards, and rowdies. He dismissed the techniques of [[Impressionism]] with its strong preoccupation with the effect of light, and used new colours, such as [[Aniline Yellow]], and photographs, as an aid. The landscapes from the mid-1880s show the same broad brushstrokes as seen in the paintings of the young [[Franz von Lenbach]].<ref>Weissweiler, p. 310</ref> Busch refused to exhibit work even though he was befriended by many artists of the [[Munich School]], which would have allowed him to do so;<ref>Weissweiler, p. 164</ref> it was not until near the end of his life that he presented his paintings to the public.<ref name="Schury, p. 49"/>